Perplexity MCP Server (OpenRouter)

An MCP server implementation for Perplexity models via OpenRouter, providing AI assistants with real-time web search, reasoning, and research capabilities through Sonar models.

Available Tools

perplexity_search

Web search using the perplexity/sonar-pro-search model. Returns comprehensive search results with citations, perfect for finding current information.

perplexity_ask

General-purpose conversational AI with real-time web search using the perplexity/sonar-pro model. Great for quick questions and everyday searches.

perplexity_research

Deep, comprehensive research using the perplexity/sonar-deep-research model. Ideal for thorough analysis and detailed reports.

perplexity_reason

Advanced reasoning and problem-solving using the perplexity/sonar-reasoning-pro model. Perfect for complex analytical tasks.

Tip

Available as an optional parameter for perplexity_reason and perplexity_research: strip_thinking

Set to true to remove <think>...</think> tags from the response, saving context tokens. Default: false

Configuration

Get Your API Key

1. Get your OpenRouter API Key from OpenRouter Keys
2. Replace your_key_here in the configurations below with your API key
3. (Optional) Set timeout: OPENROUTER_TIMEOUT_MS=600000 (default: 5 minutes)
4. (Optional) Set log level: PERPLEXITY_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG|INFO|WARN|ERROR (default: ERROR)

Claude Code

claude mcp add perplexity --env OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y github:tqtensor/modelcontextprotocol

Cursor, Claude Desktop, Kiro & Windsurf

All these clients use the same mcpServers format:

Client	Config File
Cursor	~/.cursor/mcp.json
Claude Desktop	claude_desktop_config.json
Kiro	.kiro/settings/mcp.json
Windsurf	~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:tqtensor/modelcontextprotocol"],
      "env": {
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:tqtensor/modelcontextprotocol"],
      "env": {
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Codex

codex mcp add perplexity --env OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y github:tqtensor/modelcontextprotocol

Other MCP Clients

Most clients can be manually configured to use the mcpServers wrapper in their configuration file (like Cursor). If your client doesn't work, check its documentation for the correct wrapper format.

Proxy Setup (For Corporate Networks)

If you are running this server at work—especially behind a company firewall or proxy—you may need to tell the program how to send its internet traffic through your network's proxy. Follow these steps:

1. Get your proxy details

• Ask your IT department for your HTTPS proxy address and port.
• You may also need a username and password.

2. Set the proxy environment variable

The easiest and most reliable way is to use OPENROUTER_PROXY. For example:

export OPENROUTER_PROXY=https://your-proxy-host:8080

If your proxy needs a username and password, use:

export OPENROUTER_PROXY=https://username:password@your-proxy-host:8080

3. Alternate: Standard environment variables

If you'd rather use the standard variables, we support HTTPS_PROXY and HTTP_PROXY.

Note

The server checks proxy settings in this order: OPENROUTER_PROXY -> HTTPS_PROXY -> HTTP_PROXY. If none are set, it connects directly to the internet. URLs must include https://. Typical ports are 8080, 3128, and 80.

HTTP Server Deployment

For cloud or shared deployments, run the server in HTTP mode.

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
OPENROUTER_API_KEY	Your OpenRouter API key	Required
PORT	HTTP server port	8080
BIND_ADDRESS	Network interface to bind to	0.0.0.0
ALLOWED_ORIGINS	CORS origins (comma-separated)	*

Docker

docker build -t perplexity-mcp-server .
docker run -p 8080:8080 -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_key_here perplexity-mcp-server

Node.js

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_key_here
npm install && npm run build && npm run start:http

The server will be accessible at http://localhost:8080/mcp

OpenRouter Models Used

This server uses the following Perplexity models via OpenRouter:

Tool	Model
perplexity_ask	perplexity/sonar-pro
perplexity_research	perplexity/sonar-deep-research
perplexity_reason	perplexity/sonar-reasoning-pro
perplexity_search	perplexity/sonar-pro-search

Troubleshooting

• API Key Issues: Ensure OPENROUTER_API_KEY is set correctly
• Connection Errors: Check your internet connection and API key validity
• Tool Not Found: Make sure the package is installed and the command path is correct
• Timeout Errors: For very long research queries, set OPENROUTER_TIMEOUT_MS to a higher value
• Proxy Issues: Verify your OPENROUTER_PROXY or HTTPS_PROXY setup and ensure openrouter.ai isn't blocked by your firewall.
• EOF / Initialize Errors: Some strict MCP clients fail because npx writes installation messages to stdout. Use npx -yq instead of npx -y to suppress this output.

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